Barry Callebaut to build chocolate factory in Turkey

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Building new chocolate and compound factory in Eskişehir, Central Anatolia, Turkey

Production facility with an initial capacity of 15,000 tonnes to open mid-2013

Tapping the potential of a fast growing local chocolate market

Zurich/Switzerland, October 31, 2012 – Barry Callebaut, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products, announced today the building of a factory for chocolate and compounds in Eskişehir, Turkey. The new facility will serve as a basis to participate in the further growth potential of the Turkish chocolate market as well as to capture opportunities in the regional market.

Situated in Turkey’s Central Anatolia region, the location in Eskişehir is close to existing and potential confectionery customers of Barry Callebaut. The total investment is about CHF 15 million (EUR 12 million / USD 16 million). The new factory will have an initial capacity of 15,000 tonnes and offer about 50 new jobs. Barry Callebaut’s new site in Turkey is scheduled to open mid-2013.

Juergen Steinemann, CEO of Barry Callebaut, said: “The building of a new state of the art chocolate factory in Turkey is another major step in tapping the potential of a rapidly growing region. It’s in line with our strategy to further expand our geographic presence to markets that offer above-average growth opportunities. The new production facility will also help to foster our position in the region.”

To further grow in the Eastern European region, Turkey is an important market for Barry Callebaut. Currently the yearly chocolate consumption is rather low with less than 2 kg per capita; but it is growing very fast at an annual rate of +7% per annum.[1] There is an increasing demand for high-quality chocolate and compound products as well as for technical services and new innovations.

[1] Source: Euromonitor.

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Barry Callebaut:

With annual sales of about CHF 4.6 billion (EUR 3.6 billion/USD 5.0 billion) for fiscal year 2010/11, Zurich-based Barry Callebaut is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate – from the cocoa bean to the finished chocolate product. Barry Callebaut is present in 27 countries, operates around 40 production facilities and employs a diverse and dedicated workforce of about 6,000 people. Barry Callebaut serves the entire food industry focusing on industrial food manufacturers, artisans and professional users of chocolate (such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs or bakers), the latter with its two global brands Callebaut® and Cacao Barry®. Barry Callebaut is the global leader in cocoa and chocolate innovations and provides a comprehensive range of services in the fields of product development, processing, training and marketing. Cost leadership is another important reason why global as well as local food manufacturers work together with Barry Callebaut. Through its broad range of sustainability initiatives and research activities, the company works with farmers, farmer organizations and other partners to help ensure future supplies of cocoa and improve farmer livelihoods.